Richmond, VirginiaSince 1998
Old houses, fixed the way they were built.
We renovate Richmond’s bungalows, rowhouses and foursquares. New kitchens and baths where you need them, and the original floors, windows and trim kept wherever they can be saved.
Rated 5.0 by 72 Richmond homeowners, EPA lead-safe certified, and nothing over $250 changes without your signature.
From the owners
“Dad has been fixing old Richmond houses since 1986. I joined him in 2014. We are four people, we take on about nine homes a year, and one of us is on your job every single day.”
Claire HollisCo-owner, with her father Walt
IWhat we save
We keep what was built to last.
A hundred-year-old house usually has better wood than anything you can buy today. Before we replace anything, we check whether it can be saved.
No. 1
Original floors
Heart pine and oak, sanded, patched with reclaimed boards and refinished in place.
Often half the cost of new
No. 2
Wood windows
Sashes taken out, reglazed, weatherstripped and put back running smoothly on new cords.
From $425 a window
No. 3
Plaster walls
Cracks and loose ceilings reattached and skimmed, so the walls stay solid and quiet.
From $650 a room
No. 4
Doors and trim
Stripped, repaired and matched. Missing pieces milled to the same profile.
Matched to the old profile
IIRepair first
Keep, repair or replace?
The question we get asked most. Pick a part of the house and see how we decide, with honest prices for each option.
Keep
Paint is sound and sashes open. A tune-up with new cords and weatherstripping.
$150 a windowRepair Our usual call
Rot in the sill or loose glazing. We restore the sash in our shop and add a storm window. Lasts another 50 years.
$425 to $700Replace
Only when the frame is gone. We fit wood replacements sized to the old opening.
$1,100 to $1,600Keep
Worn finish but no bare wood. A screen and recoat, done in a day.
$1.75 a sq ftRepair Our usual call
Sand to bare wood, weave in reclaimed boards where needed and refinish. Pine and oak take it well.
$4.25 to $7 a sq ftReplace
Only when boards are too thin to sand again or badly water damaged.
$11 to $16 a sq ftKeep
Hairline cracks only. We tape, fill and paint, and nobody will know.
$300 a roomRepair Our usual call
Loose ceilings screwed back with plaster washers, then a thin skim coat over the whole wall.
$650 to $1,800 a roomReplace
When walls are opened for wiring or plumbing anyway, we close them with blueboard and veneer plaster.
$2,400 a roomKeep
Solid old built-ins. New paint, hinges and pulls make them feel new.
$1,800 to $3,500Repair
Rebuild doors and drawers, add soft-close and fit a new counter on the old boxes.
$6,000 to $11,000Replace Our usual call
Most 1970s kitchens were never original. We build new cabinets in a style that suits the house.
$22,000 and upIIIPlan a project
Plan your project, room by room.
Tick the work you have in mind. You get a rough timeline and budget for a typical Richmond house of 1,400 to 2,000 square feet.
WorksheetTypical Richmond house, 1,400 to 2,000 sq ft
IVThe journal
One bungalow, eleven weeks.
A 1924 bungalow in Bellevue. New kitchen, original floors and windows saved, plaster repaired throughout. Final cost $86,400, about 4% over the first price, all of it agreed in writing.
- Week 1
Opening up
Floors covered, dust walls up, and the 1970s kitchen and paneling came out. Behind it, the original pantry door and a window that had been boarded over.
- Weeks 2 to 3
The surprise
Two floor joists under the sink had rotted. We stopped, showed the Patels, and wrote a change order for $2,150 before going on. Electrician replaced the last of the knob and tube.
- Weeks 4 to 6
Walls and windows
Fourteen sashes went to our shop for reglazing. Ceilings reattached, walls skimmed, and the old pantry opening widened into the dining room.
- Weeks 7 to 9
The kitchen goes in
Painted inset cabinets, a soapstone counter, and a tile backsplash in the same size the house was built with.
- Weeks 10 to 11
Floors last
Heart pine sanded and finished once the dust was gone. Windows back in, final walk-through with a list of six small fixes, all done in two days.
VHow we work
Old houses have surprises. Here is how we handle them.
- A walk-through before any price.Walt or Claire spends an hour in your house, looks in the basement and the attic, and tells you what we see.
- Lead-safe on every older home.We are an EPA lead-safe certified firm. Plastic, HEPA vacuums and a clean test before you move back in.
- Permits pulled by us.We handle the City of Richmond permits and inspections, and we know the rules for historic districts.
- Nothing changes without your signature.If we find something, we stop, show you, and price it in writing. Any change over $250 needs your OK first.
VIPrices
What we do, and where prices start.
Starting prices for Richmond homes. Every job gets a fixed written price after the walk-through.
About $790 less to restore, comparing the middle of each range. A restored sash lasts another 50 years.
| Room | The work | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | Kitchen renovationCabinets, counters, lighting and plumbing | $38,000 |
| Bathroom | Bathroom renovationTile, fixtures, vanity and ventilation | $19,000 |
| Floors | Floor refinishingSanding, patching and finish | $4.25 a sq ft |
| Windows | Window restorationReglaze, new cords and weatherstripping | $425 each |
| Walls | Plaster repairReattach, patch and skim coat | $650 a room |
| Porch | Porch rebuildFloor, steps, columns and railings | $10,000 |
| Wiring | Electrical updateWith our licensed electrician | $7,000 |
| Whole house | Whole-house renovationSeveral rooms, one plan, one crew | $85,000 |
VIILetters from homeowners
5.0 from 72 Google reviews
From the people who live in them.
“Three other contractors told us to rip out the windows. Claire restored all fourteen and our heating bill actually went down.”
“When they found rotten joists, Walt called me over, showed me, and had a written price the same afternoon. No drama, no surprises on the bill.”
“Our kitchen looks like it could have been there in 1915, and it works like a new one. They cleaned up every single day.”
“Claire found heart pine under three layers of carpet and talked us out of new floors. They are the best thing in the house now.”
VIIIWhere we work, and who comes
Richmond’s older neighborhoods.
- The Fan
- Museum District
- Church Hill
- Bellevue
- Ginter Park
- Jackson Ward
- Highland Park
- Woodland Heights
- Forest Hill
- Byrd Park
- Northside
- Barton Heights
- Walt HollisFounder and carpenter since 1986
- Claire HollisCo-owner, plans and runs every job
- Marcus and EliCarpenters, plaster and windows
IXBefore you call
Before you call.
How soon can you start?
We usually book two to four months out. Small jobs like windows or plaster repair can often fit in sooner.
Do you work in historic districts?
Yes, often. We know what the city’s review board looks for and prepare the drawings and photos they ask for.
Can we live in the house during the work?
Most families do. We seal off the work area, keep one bathroom working and clean up every evening.
How do payments work?
A 10% deposit to book, then payments tied to finished stages, with the last 10% after the final walk-through.
Do you do new houses too?
Rarely. We are best at homes built before 1960, and that is where we put our time.
Is the walk-through really free?
Yes. Walt or Claire spends about an hour with you, and you get a written price within two weeks. No obligation.
